Jim Stynes spoke about issues facing young people. By Sarah Schwager
TEENS were confronted headon when Brownlow medallist and youth worker Jim Stynes gave a talk in Garfield last week.
About 150 people turned out at the Garfield Hall last Tuesday to hear Stynes talk about suicide, depression, isolation and damaging behaviour.
The community night was organised by the Garfield Football Club in conjunction with the Reach Foundation, which Stynes founded to help the community deal with the loss of two young players.
Football club member Trevor Riches, who helped organise the event, said a broad crosssection of people from young teens to elderly people attended on the night.
“They thought he was just excellent,” Mr Riches said.
“He relates to kids on their level and in their lingo and gets them involved, which is pretty hard when you’ve got 18 and 19yearold boys.”
Mr Riches said Stynes got some of the boys involved and asked them when was the last time they told their dad they loved them.
“It was interesting to see what they said.
“Even at my age you don’t like to deal with that sort of thing,” he said.
Mr Riches said Stynes also talked about drugs and making positive choices and being able to make changes.
He said there had been a lot of positive feedback, including from one of the football coaches.
He said the father of one of the boys who died was there as well as the mother and stepfather of the other boy who died.
“The mere fact that they were there was important,” he said.
Mr Riches said the club would assess how the night went to see where they should go from there.
“The club is introducing some positive things in terms of alcohol.
“We want to make sure that some things that have happened in the past don’t happen in the future,” he said.
